Folding box.



, PATENTED MAY .5, 190a, F. P. HULETT.

FOLDING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

FRANKLIN P. HULET'I, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ABRAHAM L. KANAGY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING BOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKL'IN P. HULETT, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a folding or collapsible box particularly adapted to be made of heavy paper, pasteboard, or the like, but capable of being made of metal or other material.

The object of the invention is to provide a box which can be flattened out for the purpose of being cleaned or wiped off, and which also can be readily folded to occupy but small space, and when made in a size for a lunch box can, when emptied, be carried in the pocket. A novel form of fastener or clip is provided which holds the sides and ends together when set up.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank or body of the box flattened out. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the box set up. Fig. 3 is a section through the end wall on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fastener at the end of the box, removed therefrom. Fig. 5 is a erspective view, partly broken away, of t e box in folded position.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the blank or body of the box consists of a bottom 6, two ends 7, two sides 8, and flaps 9 at the ends of the sides. These parts are connected together by flexible hinges indicated at 10, which, in case the body of the box is made of pasteboard, may be bookbinders linen or the like. The hinge connections are made rather loose, so that the several parts can be folded in one upon the other. Particularly, the end flaps 9 will fold outwardly and around against the outer side of the side ieces 8, when the box is folded, as shown in ig. 5.

The cover is indicated at 11 and it may be provided with a handle 12, and the cover is deep enough to inclose or receive the body of iizhe box when the latter is folded, as shown in i/Vhen the box is set up the corner flaps 9 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 4, 1907 Patented May 5, 1908.

Serial No. 371,864.

fold against the outer side of the end pieces 7, and are held by a spring fastener or clip. This fastener consists of a strip of sheet spring metal 13 which is fastened to the end piece 7 by means of tongues 14 struck up from the strip and clenched through the end piece. The strip extends horizontallyacross the end piece and at each end it has a catch 15 formed y doubling or bending the metal upon itself, and these catches are arranged to engage in holes 16 made in the flaps 9 and to also extend into holes 17 made in the end pieces 7. The fastener is or may also be provided with an upwardly-extending arm 18 which has a catch 19 at the top adapted to engage in an opening 20 formed in the ends of the cover, to hold the cover on. One of the fasteners referred to is placed at each end of the box.

Then the box is set up the end flaps 9 are turned in a ainst the ends 7, and the spring catches are l ifted to allow the said ends to be entered thereunder, after which the catches 15 will snap into the holes 16 and 17 and hold the parts together. The cover may be similarly snapped under the catch 19.

When the box is to be folded the corner flaps 9 are disengaged from the fasteners, and the end pieces 7 are folded down upon the bottom 6, and then each side 8 is folded in upon the end pieces, the corner flaps 9 being folded down upon the outside of each side piece. Then the body so folded may be placed within the cover, and will occupy no more space than the cover itself.

I claim:

1. A. foldin box having end pieces, sides with corner flaps foldable against the end pieces, a cover, and fasteners attached to the end pieces and having spring catches engageable with the flaps and the cover said catches being yieldable to allow the flaps and cover to be sprung into and out of engagement therewith.

2. A folding box having end pieces, sides with corner flaps foldable against the end pieces, the flaps having recesses therein, and spring catches attached to the end pieces and having projections engageable in the recesses said catches being yieldable to allow the flaps and cover to be sprung into and out of engagement therewith.

3. An end fastening for folding boxes, I In testimony whereofI aflix my signature, comprising a spring strip having attaching in presence of two Witnesses. tongues struck up at the middle thereof and A a catch at each end formed by bending the FRANKLIN HULETT' 5 strip, and a spring arm projecting from one Witnesses:

edge of the 'strip and having a catch at the NELLIE FELTsKoG,

outer end. WM. J. ROBINSON. 

